DELAWARE STATE POLICE CANINE UNIT
Cpl./3 Brian Anderson - 2006
Cpl./3 Joseph Gardner - 2006 - Present
Cpl./2 Mark Windsor - 2007
The Delaware State Police Canine Division, in 2006, continued to fall under the supervision of trainers Cpl/3 Brian Anderson and Cpl/3 Joseph Gardner. At the close of the year, 25 patrol teams and 2 single purpose teams were working throughout the state. Four of those teams are cross-trained for narcotic detection and 14 are cross-trained for explosive detection. Five DSP patrol teams and 3 Municipal teams were trained and certified during the 12 week Explosive Detection Class in the spring. Four new DSP handlers, and their canine partners, were trained and certified during the 12-week Patrol Certification Course in the fall. In addition, the training staff continued to conduct monthly in-service training with current DSP canine teams and 10 municipal teams.
Several large-scale operations involving multiple canine teams are undertaken annually. Among these missions are the State Fair and two Nascar Races. The staff also served as the contact point for a joint operation with Amtrak. The Canine Division received an Explosive safety course by our own EOD unit and a Terrorism Class instructed by the DSP intelligence unit. The Canine Division took advantage of several training opportunities offered by outside agencies as well. All explosive teams trained with the FBI and ATF on new explosive odors provided by those agencies.
In 2007 the unit fell under the supervision of trainers Cpl/3 Joseph Gardner, and Cpl/2 Mark Windsor. At the close of the year, 27 patrol teams and 2 single purpose teams were working throughout the state. Seven of those teams are cross-trained for narcotic detection and 11 are cross-trained for explosive detection. Three DSP patrol teams and 2 Municipal teams were trained and certified during the 10 week Narcotic Detection Class in the spring. Four new DSP handlers and 2 municipal handlers were trained and certified during the 12-week Patrol Certification Course in the fall. The unit also began training a single purpose Narcotics K-9 for Harrington PD. As always, the training staff continued to conduct monthly in-service training with the current DSP canine teams and 12 municipal teams.
The Canine Division recorded 64 criminal apprehensions in 2007 down from 79 in 2006. These apprehensions resulted in 697 criminal charges being filed in this two year period. Many of the apprehensions occurred as a result of the suspect's surrender prior to a bite, greatly reducing the trooper's chance of injury, as well as the suspect's chance of injury.
